Rabbi Elazar said:

<<Greater is

<<prayer

<<more

<<than deeds

<<good,

<<for there is no one,

<<for you,

<<greater

<<in deeds

<<good

<<more

<<than Moshe

<<our teacher;

<<even so,

<<not

<<was he answered

<<except

<<through prayer,

<<as it is stated:

<<“Do not

<<continue

<<to speak

<<to Me,”

<<and adjacent

<<to it:

<<“Go up

<<to the top of

<<the Pisgah.”

And Rabbi Elazar said:

<<Greater is

<<a fast

<<more

<<than

<<charity.

<<What is the reason?

<<This one

<<is with his body,

<<and this one

<<with his money.

And Rabbi Elazar said:

<<Greater is

<<prayer

<<more

<<than

<<the offerings,

<<as it is stated:

<<“Why

<<do I need

<<the multitude of

<<your sacrifices?”

<<and it is written:

<<“And when you spread out

<<your hands.”

Rabbi Yochanan said:

<<Any

<<kohen

<<who killed

<<a soul

<<should not

<<raise

<<his hands,

<<as it is stated:

<<“Your hands

<<with blood

<<are filled.”

And Rabbi Elazar said:

<<From the day

<<that was destroyed

<<the Temple,

<<were locked

<<the gates of

<<prayer,

<<as it is stated:

<<“Even

<<when

<<I cry out

<<and plead,

<<He shuts out

<<my prayer.”

<<And even though

<<the gates of

<<prayer

<<were locked,

<<the gates of

<<tears

<<not

<<were locked,

<<as it is stated:

<<“Hear

<<my prayer,

<<Hashem,

<<and my cry

<<give ear to;

<<to

<<my tears

<<do not

<<be silent.”

Rava

<<did not

<<decree

<<a fast

<<on a day

<<of clouds,

<<because

<<it is stated:

<<“You have screened

<<with a cloud

<<Yourself,

<<from letting pass

<<prayer.”

And Rabbi Elazar said:

<<From the day

<<that was destroyed

<<the Temple,

<<there has interposed

<<a wall of

<<iron

<<between

<<Israel

<<and their Father

<<who is in heaven,

<<as it is stated:

<<“And you,

<<take

<<for yourself

<<a pan of

<<iron,

<<and set

<<it

<<as a wall of

<<iron

<<between you

<<and between

<<the city.”

Rabbi Chanin said in the name of Rabbi Chanina:

<<Anyone who

<<prolongs

<<his prayer,

<<does not

<<his prayer

<<return

<<empty.

<<From where

<<do we have it?

<<From Moshe

<<our teacher,

<<as it is stated:

<<“And I prayed

<<to

<<Hashem,”

<<and it is written

<<after it:

<<“And listened

<<Hashem

<<to me

<<also

<<at the time,

<<that one.”

Is that so?!

<<But didn't Rabbi Chiya bar Abba say in the name of Rabbi Yochanan:

<<Anyone who

<<prolongs

<<his prayer

<<and anticipates

<<it,

<<in the end

<<comes

<<to

<<pain of

<<the heart,

<<as it is stated:

<<“Hope

<<prolonged

<<sickens

<<the heart.”

<<What

<<is his remedy?

<<Let him engage

<<in Torah,

<<as it is stated:

<<“And a tree of

<<life

<<is desire

<<that comes,”

<<and there is no

<<tree of

<<life

<<except

<<Torah,

<<as it is stated:

<<“A tree of

<<life

<<it is

<<to those who hold

<<onto it.”

<<It is not difficult:

<<this one

<<is where he prolongs

<<and anticipates

<<it;

<<this one

<<is where he prolongs

<<and does not

<<anticipate

<<it.

Rabbi Chama son of Rabbi Chanina said:

<<If

<<sees

<<a person

<<that he prayed

<<and was not

<<answered,

<<he should go back

<<and pray,

<<as it is stated:

<<“Hope

<<to

<<Hashem;

<<be strong

<<and let take courage

<<your heart,

<<and hope

<<to

<<Hashem.”

The Rabbis taught:

<<Four [things]

<<need

<<strengthening,

<<and these

<<are they:

<<Torah,

<<and deeds

<<good,

<<prayer,

<<and the way of

<<the land.

Torah

<<and deeds

<<good —

<<from where?

<<As it is stated:

<<“Only

<<be strong

<<and courageous

<<very much

<<to keep

<<and to do

<<according to all

<<the Torah” —

<<“be strong”

<<in Torah,

<<“and courageous”

<<in deeds

<<good.

Prayer —

<<from where?

<<As it is stated:

<<“Hope

<<to

<<Hashem;

<<be strong

<<and let take courage

<<your heart,

<<and hope

<<to

<<Hashem.”

The way of

<<the land —

<<from where?

<<As it is stated:

<<“Be strong,

<<and let us strengthen ourselves

<<for

<<our people,

<<etc.”

“And said

<<Zion:

<<Has forsaken me

<<Hashem,

<<and Hashem

<<has forgotten me.”

<<Is it the same,

<<‘forsaken,’

<<and the same,

<<‘forgotten’?

<<Reish Lakish said:

<<Said

<<the Congregation of Israel

<<before

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He:

<<Master of the world,

<<a man

<<who marries

<<a woman

<<in addition to

<<his wife,

<<the first,

<<remembers

<<the deeds of

<<the first one.

<<You

<<have forsaken me

<<and forgotten me!

Said

<<to her

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He:

<<My daughter,

<<twelve

<<constellations

<<I created

<<in the firmament,

<<and for

<<each

<<constellation

<<and constellation

<<I created

<<for it

<<thirty

<<armies,

<<and for

<<each

<<army

<<and army

<<I created

<<for it

<<thirty

<<legions,

<<and for

<<each

<<legion

<<and legion

<<I created

<<for it

<<thirty

<<rahatons (divisions),

<<and for

<<each

<<rahaton

<<and rahaton

<<I created

<<for it

<<thirty

<<kartons (camps),

<<and for

<<each

<<karton

<<and karton

<<I created

<<for it

<<thirty

<<gastras (forts),

<<and on

<<each

<<gastra

<<and gastra

<<I hung

<<on it

<<three

<<hundred

<<and sixty

<<and five

<<thousands of

<<myriads of

<<stars,

<<corresponding to

<<the days of

<<the sun.

<<And all of them

<<not

<<did I create

<<except

<<for your sake,

<<and you

<<say

<<“You have forsaken me”

<<and “You have forgotten me”?!

“Can forget

<<a woman

<<her nursling?”

<<Said

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He:

<<Will at all

<<I forget

<<the burnt-offerings of

<<rams

<<and the firstborn of

<<wombs

<<that you offered

<<before Me

<<in the desert?!

<<She said before Him:

<<Master of the world,

<<since

<<there is no

<<forgetting

<<before

<<the Throne of

<<Your Glory,

<<perhaps

<<not

<<will You forget

<<for me

<<the deed of

<<the calf?

<<He said to her:

<<“Even

<<these

<<will be forgotten.”

She said before Him:

<<Master of the world,

<<since

<<there is

<<forgetting

<<before

<<the Throne of

<<Your Glory,

<<perhaps

<<You will forget

<<for me

<<the deed of

<<Sinai?

<<He said to her:

<<“But I

<<not

<<will forget you.”

And this is

<<that Rabbi Elazar said in the name of Rav Oshaya:

<<What is

<<that which is written:

<<“Even

<<these

<<will be forgotten” —

<<this is

<<the deed of

<<the calf;

<<“But I

<<not

<<will forget you” —

<<this is

<<the deed of

<<Sinai.

“The pious ones

<<of old

<<would

<<wait

<<an hour,

<<one.”

From where

<<are these

<<words?

<<Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said:

<<says

<<the verse:

<<“Happy are

<<those who dwell in

<<Your house.”

And Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said:

<<One who prays

<<needs

<<to wait

<<an hour,

<<one,

<<after

<<his prayer,

<<as it is stated:

<<“Only

<<the righteous

<<will give thanks

<<to Your name;

<<will dwell

<<the upright

<<before You.”

It is taught

<<also

<<so:

<<One who prays

<<needs

<<that he wait

<<an hour,

<<one,

<<before

<<his prayer,

<<and an hour,

<<one,

<<after

<<his prayer.

<<Before

<<his prayer —

<<from where?

<<As it is stated:

<<“Happy are

<<those who dwell in

<<Your house.”

<<After

<<his prayer —

<<from where?

<<As it is written:

<<“Only

<<the righteous

<<will give thanks

<<to Your name;

<<will dwell

<<the upright

<<before You.”

The Rabbis taught:

<<The pious ones

<<of old

<<would

<<wait

<<an hour,

<<one,

<<and pray

<<an hour,

<<one,

<<and go back

<<and wait

<<an hour,

<<one.

<<But

<<since

<<they wait

<<nine

<<hours

<<a day

<<in prayer,

<<their Torah,

<<how

<<is it preserved,

<<and their work,

<<how

<<is it done?

Rather,

<<because

<<pious ones

<<they are,

<<their Torah

<<is preserved,

<<and their work

<<is blessed.

“Even

<<the king

<<asks

<<after his welfare,

<<he should not

<<answer him.”

Rav Yosef said:

<<They did not

<<teach [this]

<<except

<<regarding the kings of

<<Israel,

<<but

<<regarding the kings of

<<the nations of

<<the world,

<<he interrupts.

They raised an objection:

<<One who prays

<<and saw

<<a ruffian

<<coming

<<toward him,

<<or saw

<<a wagon

<<coming

<<toward him,

<<not

<<should he be

<<interrupting,

<<but

<<he shortens

<<and goes up!

It is not difficult:

<<this one

<<is where it is possible

<<to shorten —

<<(he should shorten;

<<and if

<<not,

<<he interrupts).

The Rabbis taught:

<<An incident

<<with a pious man,

<<a certain one,

<<who was

<<praying

<<on the road.

<<There came

<<an officer,

<<a certain one,

<<and gave

<<him

<<greeting,

<<and not

<<did he return

<<to him

<<greeting.

<<He waited

<<for him

<<until

<<he finished

<<his prayer.

<<After

<<he finished

<<his prayer,

<<he said to him:

<<Empty one!

<<Is it not

<<written

<<in your Torah:

<<“Only

<<guard

<<yourself

<<and guard

<<your soul,”

<<and it is written:

<<“And you shall guard

<<very much

<<your souls”?

<<When I gave

<<you

<<greeting,

<<why

<<not

<<did you return

<<to me

<<greeting?

<<If

<<I had been

<<cutting off

<<your head

<<with a sword,

<<who

<<would have

<<demanded

<<your blood

<<from my hand?!

He said to him:

<<Wait

<<for me

<<until

<<I appease you

<<with words.

<<He said to him:

<<Had

<<you been

<<standing

<<before

<<a king of

<<flesh

<<and blood,

<<and there came

<<your fellow

<<and gave

<<you

<<greeting,

<<would you have